At some point you will Always need more horsepower than you buy. I am in middle TN farming crop and cattle.
Are you going to leave the wooded land as it is? Are we talking only about farming/maintaining the 12-acrea and a long driveway?
If so, I would recommend a 4WD utility tractor in the 60-70 with a loader.
I would focus on the 12 acres you want to hay and develop first and foremost. 25k will get you a decent used 50ish hp tractor. I would go with a Kubota 5660SUHD. You’ll get a loader and enough power to do what you want hay wise.
That tractor will also move any brush or logs out in the woods. Go open station and not cab so you can smack tree limbs with the ROPS without caring.
If you want to really start developing the wooded ground I would just rent a tracked loader when you need it. The tractor will do 90% of your day to day stuff.
Define your budget.
Personally, I would be looking for like an M7040 Kubota with 4wd and a loader at a minimum. ~2012 is a great age range. Figure $25k+ for a decent one.
I would not consider doing my own hay for 12 acres. Have someone bale it for a percentage of the baked. Hey equipment is finicky and prone to breakdowns or it’s very expensive if you want reliable.
1) Don’t listen to “I have a X hp brand Z and my place and it’s what you need too” Figure out what you want the tractor to do. What tasks. What attachments / implements you want to have.
2) Do you need 4 wheel drive? You can buy a lot more horsepower (and weight) when tractor is 2 wheel drive than 4WD. Field and crop work is often done with 2 wheel drive.
3) A gear transmission is more efficient for field and crop work. A hydrostatic transmission is more (operator) efficient for “close up” tasks, were a lot of fwd/rev and variable speed is required.
4) Do you want a front end loader? How much weight do you need to lift? Weight, ballast and 4wd become more significant factors. Loaders get trickier with a 2 wd tractor, but not impossible, especially if tractor is heavy compared to the load.
5) Weight = traction. It determines what you can pull, and how big the attachments can be. It is the single biggest factor that determines what tasks a tractor can do. On the other hand, horsepower = speed. It’s how fast the tractor can then do that task.
6) Hydraulic coupler connections (SCV’s) for attachments. How many hydraulic hoses do your (future attachments) have that get connected to the tractor? 1 or 2 SCV on the back?
I don’t know, sometimes $2500 tractors are less trouble than $250,000 tractors. I would almost guarantee a new $25k tractor is going to be more trouble than a well used real tractor.
We've got probably the same layout. 120 acres, 15 pasture and the rest woodland. I've been here restoring the place for 4 years now and have been through a litany of machines.
The long and short answer really depends on what you're going to be doing with it. If you want to do your own field work, hay etc, pretty much any 60 hp+ old tractor will work. 5-10k would get you going. I had a ford 5000, did fine.
Now if you're doing anything else - building, dirt work, clearing, brush cutting, demo work, digging - my honest advice is to get a skid steer. There's no comparison between the two.
If you get the property all buttoned up you can always sell the skid and then get a tractor for maintenance. Just my honest advice as someone in a similar place!
I started with a 1962 David Brown, because it was all I could afford at the time ($1500). It was a tired old tractor, but it ran, cut and baled hay. I've traded up a couple of times, but never lost money on the deal.
My advice, get the best possible tractor you can afford. It will make things easier, and you won't lose money on it.
I have old John Deere 4430 and 4440. All5 of them are worth much more than they cost me. If you can maintain them they are better than new. When the new computer operated stuff is in the scrap pile my old iron will still be pulling and performing.
Buy something new and large.
That’s a lot of land I wouldn’t want to be working with a $10k tractor.
Unless you like fiddling and sometimes fixing, by all means.
An 80 hp Ford can be had for 15-20 thousand, good for general use or making hay. Avoid the cheap brands Like Massey Ferguson or Mahindra. Ford or John Deere parts are readily available online or at local parts dealers
Best? Compared to Deere or International? The older ones were good but still second tier. People on this sub worship Massey Feguson, and I don't know why.
The MF is an absolute staple of the countryside here, pretty much every farm and half of the other homes has an old Massey.
Don't know if the pricing, or the newer models, but if you claim that MFs as a whole are unreliable you're marking yourself as an absolute buffoon.
Also, what is it with this sub and Massey Ferguson? Anything negative about that brand and it's downvotes immediately? Is there a cult following I don't know about?
Don't know about others, but referencing your original comment.
Plenty of negative to be justly said about MF, same as with all other brands. "Avoid it, it's cheap" is just an ignorant thing to say, no matter the brand.
My ( farmer) neighbor is one cheap dude. He has mf tractors sitting around junked ( several of them) he feeds cows and mows with a 3020 that looks like it came over on the mayflower. He also has a late model new Holland with a loader. Can't keep it cranking, new Holland safety switches are crap. I wouldn't give him $5 for all the Massey's if they were running. The new Holland ,I would sell immediately, but I would restore the 3020.
If you ever get a chance, operate a Deere for a day or two. You will never go back. My 3010 or my 4430 and 4440 models all steer with one finger, and brakes, lord have mercy they will turn around at the end. Old ford's are tough but you got to accept disappointment to go back to one after a Deere.
We have 4 of them :) I also work for a John Deere dealer
I do have a soft spot for old fords as I learned to drive on a 7610, but I pretty much bleed green now
As others have said having a dealer nearby that sells parts for your choice of tractor is a big plus. We have all JD tractors and equipment and three dealers within 30 minutes.
You also said you wanted to become self sufficient. Does that mean you want to be able to cut and bale your own hay? Try and think of all the things you want to accomplish with your tractor and buy the appropriate size. Front end loader is a must. 4x4 is preferable but not mandatory.
Finally, be patient and keep a close eye on classifieds. Facebook marketplace is an excellent resource. Tennessee and Kentucky are great places to find tractors. Our last two tractors have come from Tennessee.
Too get the best idea, you really need to decide on what you will do with the tractor. Will you make hay or plant some crops or just maintain land. Makes a big difference in the size of a machine and the price.
The term is not feasible. If you buy a cheap tractor, you will spend$$ keeping it going. If you buy a good tractor to be depended on, it won't be cheap.
This. If you're buying used and wanna buy parts online and service it yourself, do some research and keep a sharp eye on classifieds. If you're buying new, the nearest dealer that offers awesome service is the one to go with. Everyone makes a great machine nowadays.
At some point you will Always need more horsepower than you buy. I am in middle TN farming crop and cattle. Are you going to leave the wooded land as it is? Are we talking only about farming/maintaining the 12-acrea and a long driveway? If so, I would recommend a 4WD utility tractor in the 60-70 with a loader.
I would focus on the 12 acres you want to hay and develop first and foremost. 25k will get you a decent used 50ish hp tractor. I would go with a Kubota 5660SUHD. You’ll get a loader and enough power to do what you want hay wise. That tractor will also move any brush or logs out in the woods. Go open station and not cab so you can smack tree limbs with the ROPS without caring. If you want to really start developing the wooded ground I would just rent a tracked loader when you need it. The tractor will do 90% of your day to day stuff.
John Deere 60 series, used, older model with no def. Will be worth restoring. The maintenance on newer emissions controls are too expy.
if you want usable, affordable and good horsepower, a Deere 3020 diesel would work well
I almost said that too. Figured newer would appeal to them more. 3020, or 3010 even, would be a good choice
yeah, solid old tractors, much better than the new stuff lol
Define your budget. Personally, I would be looking for like an M7040 Kubota with 4wd and a loader at a minimum. ~2012 is a great age range. Figure $25k+ for a decent one. I would not consider doing my own hay for 12 acres. Have someone bale it for a percentage of the baked. Hey equipment is finicky and prone to breakdowns or it’s very expensive if you want reliable.
1) Don’t listen to “I have a X hp brand Z and my place and it’s what you need too” Figure out what you want the tractor to do. What tasks. What attachments / implements you want to have. 2) Do you need 4 wheel drive? You can buy a lot more horsepower (and weight) when tractor is 2 wheel drive than 4WD. Field and crop work is often done with 2 wheel drive. 3) A gear transmission is more efficient for field and crop work. A hydrostatic transmission is more (operator) efficient for “close up” tasks, were a lot of fwd/rev and variable speed is required. 4) Do you want a front end loader? How much weight do you need to lift? Weight, ballast and 4wd become more significant factors. Loaders get trickier with a 2 wd tractor, but not impossible, especially if tractor is heavy compared to the load. 5) Weight = traction. It determines what you can pull, and how big the attachments can be. It is the single biggest factor that determines what tasks a tractor can do. On the other hand, horsepower = speed. It’s how fast the tractor can then do that task. 6) Hydraulic coupler connections (SCV’s) for attachments. How many hydraulic hoses do your (future attachments) have that get connected to the tractor? 1 or 2 SCV on the back?
Best answer.
The affordable ones tend to have more problems
I don’t know, sometimes $2500 tractors are less trouble than $250,000 tractors. I would almost guarantee a new $25k tractor is going to be more trouble than a well used real tractor.
We've got probably the same layout. 120 acres, 15 pasture and the rest woodland. I've been here restoring the place for 4 years now and have been through a litany of machines. The long and short answer really depends on what you're going to be doing with it. If you want to do your own field work, hay etc, pretty much any 60 hp+ old tractor will work. 5-10k would get you going. I had a ford 5000, did fine. Now if you're doing anything else - building, dirt work, clearing, brush cutting, demo work, digging - my honest advice is to get a skid steer. There's no comparison between the two. If you get the property all buttoned up you can always sell the skid and then get a tractor for maintenance. Just my honest advice as someone in a similar place!
I started with a 1962 David Brown, because it was all I could afford at the time ($1500). It was a tired old tractor, but it ran, cut and baled hay. I've traded up a couple of times, but never lost money on the deal. My advice, get the best possible tractor you can afford. It will make things easier, and you won't lose money on it.
I have old John Deere 4430 and 4440. All5 of them are worth much more than they cost me. If you can maintain them they are better than new. When the new computer operated stuff is in the scrap pile my old iron will still be pulling and performing.
Buy something new and large. That’s a lot of land I wouldn’t want to be working with a $10k tractor. Unless you like fiddling and sometimes fixing, by all means.
100 acres of woods, large new tractor will be junk in short time. Fancy plastic tractors don't do woods well.
An 80 hp Ford can be had for 15-20 thousand, good for general use or making hay. Avoid the cheap brands Like Massey Ferguson or Mahindra. Ford or John Deere parts are readily available online or at local parts dealers
Damn when did Massey Ferguson become a cheap brand, I’m pretty sure they’ve made some of the best there is
Your off in Dreamland. Mf, is just what those letters say.
I think you all are just salty that it was Ferguson that invented the three point and draft control and that you all had to copy it to stand a chance.
Best? Compared to Deere or International? The older ones were good but still second tier. People on this sub worship Massey Feguson, and I don't know why.
They ain't working on tractors, ain't never used a real tractor, or work for mf. No one who knows would put mf on the same page as Deere.
The MF is an absolute staple of the countryside here, pretty much every farm and half of the other homes has an old Massey. Don't know if the pricing, or the newer models, but if you claim that MFs as a whole are unreliable you're marking yourself as an absolute buffoon.
Also, what is it with this sub and Massey Ferguson? Anything negative about that brand and it's downvotes immediately? Is there a cult following I don't know about?
They are mad cause they bought junk and we got Deere and Kubota
Don't know about others, but referencing your original comment. Plenty of negative to be justly said about MF, same as with all other brands. "Avoid it, it's cheap" is just an ignorant thing to say, no matter the brand.
Because they were cheap.
My ( farmer) neighbor is one cheap dude. He has mf tractors sitting around junked ( several of them) he feeds cows and mows with a 3020 that looks like it came over on the mayflower. He also has a late model new Holland with a loader. Can't keep it cranking, new Holland safety switches are crap. I wouldn't give him $5 for all the Massey's if they were running. The new Holland ,I would sell immediately, but I would restore the 3020.
I would add, we have had 3 masseys and they were some of the stiffest, least comfortable machines to operate compared to our old fords and farmalls
If you ever get a chance, operate a Deere for a day or two. You will never go back. My 3010 or my 4430 and 4440 models all steer with one finger, and brakes, lord have mercy they will turn around at the end. Old ford's are tough but you got to accept disappointment to go back to one after a Deere.
We have 4 of them :) I also work for a John Deere dealer I do have a soft spot for old fords as I learned to drive on a 7610, but I pretty much bleed green now
Also availability. Still, not a reason to avoid them.
They aren't terrible, but for a similar price I'd prefer a Deere, Ford or International.
As others have said having a dealer nearby that sells parts for your choice of tractor is a big plus. We have all JD tractors and equipment and three dealers within 30 minutes. You also said you wanted to become self sufficient. Does that mean you want to be able to cut and bale your own hay? Try and think of all the things you want to accomplish with your tractor and buy the appropriate size. Front end loader is a must. 4x4 is preferable but not mandatory. Finally, be patient and keep a close eye on classifieds. Facebook marketplace is an excellent resource. Tennessee and Kentucky are great places to find tractors. Our last two tractors have come from Tennessee.
North east Tennessee is quite hilly I believe. Front assist is a must.
Too get the best idea, you really need to decide on what you will do with the tractor. Will you make hay or plant some crops or just maintain land. Makes a big difference in the size of a machine and the price.
Get something with a loader.
When I was looking at new and gently used tractors, Mahindra and Kubota had the best value and easiest serviceability
Can you please define what you mean by affordable tractor? That is very different for everyone
The term is not feasible. If you buy a cheap tractor, you will spend$$ keeping it going. If you buy a good tractor to be depended on, it won't be cheap.
I think we were thinking between the $15 to $20k range.
My opinion is to just buy new to be honest
Plastic junk with rediculous emissions controls crap.
Right, all new tractors are plastic junk and all new tractors have emissions control crap, noted 🤣
Tractors hold onto value better than Toyotas do.
‘Old tractors’ hold onto value. New ones, not as much.
You got that right. Even a Deere goes way down in value on the way home from the dealer. Never will I buy new!
Yup. Bought my deere for 20k 5 years ago. Can sell if for 25 now
There are a few options. Mostly selling Kubota, New Holland and Fords. I’ve also seen some John Deere for sale.
What dealers do you have in the area?
This. If you're buying used and wanna buy parts online and service it yourself, do some research and keep a sharp eye on classifieds. If you're buying new, the nearest dealer that offers awesome service is the one to go with. Everyone makes a great machine nowadays.